Assessing knowledge management practice at Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health (EFMoH) and its affiliate organizations, Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction: Knowledge management is the planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling of people, processes and systems in an organization to ensure that organizational knowledgerelated assets are improved and effectively employed. The study aims, to assess knowledge management practice, at the Federal Ministry of Health and its affiliate organizations in Ethiopia so as to design a mechanism for effective and efficient management of knowledge. Methodology: a descriptive cross-sectional study design employed to assess knowledge management practice in purposively selected organizations of Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health and its affiliate organization by further correlating the existing knowledge management practices with the standard knowledge management practices that one institution need to have through structured self administered questions. The study included technical staffs in the target organization which would be selected randomly using lottery method from the total 99 case teams equivalent to one program staff from each case teams included in the study. Results: The study reviled that most of participants (78.2%) mentioned the organizations don‘t have knowledge management strategy and 92.2% of respondents mentioned there is no responsible person who can manage knowledge. Majority of the knowledge was existed in the form of tacit knowledge. The study also showed experiences of information technology in some of the organizations that need to be shared for other organizations where information technology infrastructure is important for knowledge sharing and capturing. Further the study indicated there is no statistical relation between socio-demographic factor and knowledge management practices in the organization which needs to be further studied. Conclusion: The study indicates the Federal Ministry of Health and its affiliate organizations needs to give emphasis on the importance‘s of knowledge management system to design and incorporate the strategies with other health sector . Recommendation: EFMoH and affiliate organization managers should create awareness about knowledge management, develop knowledge management strategy and guidelines and use mechanism for effective management of knowledge and tools which is suggested by this research.